Beating the Enemy’s Mind Games

*Excerpt by Lana Savchuk

There are two sides to freedom–deliverance and the demolishing of strongholds. In fact, for many people, such as myself, the journey toward freedom has not been immediate and required faith, trust, and a constant reliance on the Holy Spirit over time. John 8:36 promises, “Whom the Son sets free is free indeed,” but that doesn’t mean the process will always be quick.

My Process of Deliverance

I grew up as a pastor’s kid in a Christian family in Russia, a society that rejected Christianity. I felt isolated and ashamed of being different.

After getting married, I moved to a new city with no friends or family. It was a low point, and the devil took advantage. I experienced severe demonic torment: nightmares, sleep paralysis, and a dark cloud over me. It affected my marriage and my ability to pray, so much so that hatred and jealousy filled my heart. I knew I needed deliverance.

During a trip overseas, I received prayer, and generational curses were broken. It was then that I realized that deliverance untied my hands so I could start fighting for myself, but breaking down strongholds would take time.

The Anointing Drives Out Demons, But Truth Brings Down Strongholds.

I want to reiterate that deliverance frees you from demonic oppression, but demolishing strongholds is a process. It’s like having soap at home—it won’t make you clean unless you use it! Similarly, the truth of God’s Word only works when we apply it to our minds daily.

After deliverance, I felt free to pray and fight. I started listening to the Bible and positive teachings every day at work. It was painful at first—one positive thought felt like a struggle against years of negativity. But slowly, my mind began to change.

There are three mentalities we must be aware of:

1. Slave Mentality: The Israelites were slaves in Egypt and needed deliverance.
2. Survivor Mentality: After leaving Egypt, they wandered in the wilderness—no longer slaves, but not victorious either.
3. Sonship Mentality: This is where God wants us. We become soldiers of Christ, equipped to fight and claim victory.

It’s important to remember that while God delivers us from bondage it doesn’t mean he always delivers us from battles. Instead, I have learned that He wants us to learn to fight for our freedom–to become overcomers.

7 Practical Steps to Renew Your Mind:

The strongholds in our minds are built over time and must be taken down systematically. This requires applying God’s truth, resisting negative thoughts, and planting positive ones. Here are a few things that helped me in the process:

1. Don’t wait for your circumstances to change before you start changing your mind. Your mind must rise above your circumstances.
2. Stop believing that you can’t control your thoughts. The Bible commands us to think on good things (Philippians 4:8), meaning we can choose what to dwell on.
3. What you feed your mind becomes your mindset. You can’t control your mindset directly, but you can control what you feed it.
4. Confess what you believe, not what you feel. Speak God’s Word out loud, even when you don’t feel it.
5. Resist negative thoughts and assist positive thoughts. Uproot negative thinking like weeds, and plant godly thoughts like seeds.
6. Celebrate the process. Change takes time. Don’t give up—keep fighting for your freedom.
7. Expect miracles. Expectation is the breeding ground for miracles. Resist imagining the worst; expect good things from God.

Final Thoughts

Faith is believing in God’s goodness, no matter what. Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This process requires us to partner with God, applying His Word and resisting the lies of the enemy.

Remember, demons leave quickly, but strongholds take time to break down. With faith and perseverance, I truly believe that you can experience true freedom in Christ.

Read: Pulling Down Strongholds